The week began with an unexpected apology to Washington football fans from a former coach. Their only hope now is for an unexpected victory with which to end the week.

For an 0-9 team lacking exciting story lines, Rick Neuheisel provides a handful as he brings his UCLA Bruins to Husky Stadium on Saturday evening.

Neuheisel coached at Washington from 1999-2002, went 33-16 and won the 2001 Rose Bowl. But he was fired in 2003 after a bizarre gambling scandal and one too many half-truths told to then-athletic director Barbara Hedges.

The Huskies haven't had a winning record since his departure and the wrongful termination suit that followed. The sides reached a settlement before a verdict and Neuheisel "settled" for $4.5 million.

"For me, this thing ... if there's any emotion it's between the fans and myself, and I just want the fans to know that I am truly sorry for the messiness of how things shook out," Neuheisel said Monday.

"Husky football is a great entity and a great program and I believe that good things are in store, and I believe that is also the case for UCLA football."

Dubbed "Slick Rick" by fans and rivals alike, Neuheisel was banished from college football for a spell after his firing. He volunteered at Rainier Beach High School and took a coaching job with the Baltimore Ravens, before his alma mater hired him in December.

After his hiring, Neuheisel said he ran up the steps of a campus building in Westwood, got to the top and did his best Rocky Balboa impression because being back felt so good.

But after a 27-24 season-opening victory against Tennessee, the Bruins have been in an injury-induced tailspin. BYU pummeled UCLA 59-0 in the second game, and the Bruins have beaten only Washington State and Stanford in the seven games since. A date with the downtrodden Huskies could be just what the golden boy ordered.

"I want to play well. I want our team to represent itself in the proper way and play hard and, if we can we find a way, to win the game," Neuheisel said. "But in terms of all the outside stuff, frankly it will be best when it's over, because I think too much gets made of it.

"I have a fond, fond memory bank of great things that happened to me while I was the Husky coach. I've been in Husky Stadium when it was absolutely rocking. I remember many, many late wins that the place was jumping, and I remember the Rose Bowl season and great, great things during my time there, and that's what I choose to reflect on rather than the unfortunate, messy ending."

Since Neuheisel was fired in 2003, Tyrone Willingham became the third Huskies coach to be forced out when athletic director Scott Woodward announced that news two weeks ago.

The Huskies are on an 11-game losing streak and are the only winless team in the Football Bowl Subdivision.

With his tenure ending after the season, Willingham is glad the glare of the spotlight is shifting to someone else.

"My situation is done," he said. "Everyone knows what is going on with me. So, that's pretty much old news, today's fish wrap. (Neuheisel) will come in and he'll be directing his team. He's proven with his record, he's an excellent coach. ... I don't know what the spotlight will be, but it'll be a football game."

Willingham has played 12 true freshmen with nine starting at least one game.

UCLA isn't as statistically abysmal, but the Bruins are eighth in the Pac-10 in both scoring (18.8 points per game) and scoring defense (31.0), just ahead of Washington in both categories.

"I think the biggest reason is inexperience," said Neuheisel, who has played 11 true freshmen and is starting four.

"We're a little bit young from an experience standpoint to try to be doing a lot of the things that maybe look like good ideas when you watch the tape. So that's been a major reason. And that hurts you when you're talking about your running game, and it also hurts you when you're talking about what you can do protection-wise.

"And then when you look at the rest of our roster, it also has a lot of youth."

Neuheisel, at least, has given his young troops a taste of victory, one reason his Bruins are 7 1/2 -point favorites.

"We're going through some growing pains -- I think that's probably the case with a lot of first-year programs -- but we're still excited about our future, our kids are still playing hard and I look forward to getting the program back to where I believe it can be and should be, which is among the nation's elite," Neuheisel said.

Even as such, Neuheisel scratches his head over the Huskies' recent failures.

"My first year in the Pac-10, (Willingham) was the Pac-10 coach of the year and had the conference champions in Stanford, so I know there isn't any lack of effort, and I know that they are going to play their tails off this weekend -- and so will our team. And even though the records don't indicate it, it should be a whale of a college football game."